Ah the ’90s and early Noughties … such a simple, uncomplicated time when all any of the Friends had to worry about was whether the couch would be free at Central Perk (it always was, of course), whether Ross was with Rachel or they were on a break (getting technical is not the way to a woman’s heart Ross), and whether Phoebe’s beloved “Smelly Cat” would ever find a food that didn’t make it so whiffy.
It was also a time, you might remember, when people out in public actually talked.
Yes, TALKED.
Hard to believe, and for you youngsters out there it may sound like an urban myth writ large, but it’s true – people laughed, talked, interacted, and held eye contact with each other.
And then came the smartphone and the world changed forever.
[Full disclaimer: I am in deep love with my smartphone so this is not so much a criticism of now vs. then as an observation]
Now, if David Crane and Marta Kauffman were to reboot Friends for the modern age, it would have to take into account the fact that poeple spend an inordinate amount of time with eyes glued to their screens and don’t have time for such frivolities as stealing delivered cakes out of hallways and trying to convince people that dinosaurs are really cool.
It’s highly unlikely they will remake it since Friends is doing just nicely in syndication thank you very much, but if they did, then I bet you anything it’d look something like the version cooked up Nerdist, which is quite simply hilarious and insightful all at once.
And which comes complete with a parody version of the sitcom’s theme song “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts which fully acknowledges the change in social habits.
This is inordinately clever, funny stuff and exactly how I imagine a modern hipster version of Friends would look.
(source: Laughing Squid)